Spring... awakening ... then asleeping...

It was very warm, for a few days, way back when, weeks and weeks ago, now it seems.  And then, some sort of omega weather pattern has beset us for the last few, and seems to have eradicated the few traces of warmth.

So what has come back in?  Weeds.  Lots and lots of weeds.

 

A few little violets among the weeds.  But, mostly, weeds.  It was warm enough for them to grow, but then it's been too cold now for me to yank them out, to cut them up and compost them back.  So they continue to grow, and thrive.

 

While a whole bunch of other things have died.  My poor rosemary - does not seem to have made it.  And it was supposed to be an alpine rosemary, or something like that.  Some variant of highly cold-tolerant rosemary.  It hadn't seemed dead all winter.  But now it is just brown.  I am waiting - maybe with all the rain, it will come back to life.

 

The rosebush - my baby's blanket from my mama's garden (the "Mother Garden") - is a definite goner.  It didn't really get anywhere last year.  And this year, no signs of life yet.  It's that first photo up above - all weeds in that planter.  Maybe a few of the dianthus have made it.  So, over Mother's Day, on a trip to Hicks, I picked up a new resident for the planter...

 

 

 

... a little $20 reject from the clearance shelves.  Looks sprightly, right?  I now can't remember what type I picked up - as I recall, the debate was between a white Knockout type variety (Marmy said those do well and are easy) and a pink-looking one of a different variety.  Well, we'll see.

 

And then there are the mandevillas - forced outside a few weeks ago.

 













 

 

They are not growing quite as prolifically as when they were overwintering indoors, but they are still growing.  Interestingly, the growth is darker - not the bright green like when they were indoors.  And definitely more stunted.  But I'm glad they are just hanging in there and still alive.  Have to get them over to their little trellises.  And the one plant that was going berserk, well, I am making an attempt to propagate.  I saw a you tube video that says they will root in a couple of weeks if the new growth is pinned down to some soil - not easy when they are in their vertical climbing habit, so I thought I'd try this in this phase, with a little cast-off container propped on the dining table benches.  If successful, they get to go to the Mother Garden.  (One of the few items Marmy was ready to pick up from Hicks were red mandevillas.  If this works, then I'll be able to give her some pink ones.)

 

So, lots of waiting and seeing.  And hoping for a true spring, a warm spring.  Soon.